The present invention relates to a method and means for controlling the rate of firing from a machine gun. The firing rate of a gun is an essential factor in achieving high fire power under sustained firing conditions.
In the case of machine guns which utilize a gas pressure drive system, methods for controlling the rate of fire are known (see, for example, German published applications No. AS2300260 and No. OS1932081). One such method uses a removable and replaceable nozzle of given cross-section located within the detonation chamber. The nozzle draws off a portion of the gas produced by the detonation to be used in the subsequent firing sequence. Variation in the rate of firing is achieved by changing the nozzle to one of different cross-section. Such control means suffers from the disadvantage of requiring dismantling and reassembly each time a change in the rate of firing is desired.
Another type of gas pressure drive system uses an electrical detonating system which utilizes a signal transmitter for indicating the locked position of the breech block and a drive for controlling the detonating current. The rate of firing is accurately selectable by impressing a control signal through a retriggerable monostable flip-flop having an adjustable response time. Although this device avoids the disadvantages of dismantling and reassembly operations required a nozzle control device, it requires a lengthy operation to locate any fault that may occur in the electrical system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rate of firing control system which not only avoids the disadvantages of known systems, but also enables fine adjustment of the rate of firing.
The present invention provides a method for controlling the rate of firing from a gun by constructing the recoil counter-recoil device as an oscillator, varying the oscillation characteristic of the device for optimum response and transmitting an order to detonate for the subsequent firing cycle when signals are present from the predetermined position of the recoil counter-recoil device during its oscillation and from the predetermined position of the breech.
The invention can be used both for floating and buffered carriage systems, with any form of propulsion (gas pressure, hybrid, recoil) and any type of construction, for example drum-type magazine weapons. A floating carriage system of the type referred to herein is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,781.
A floating gun mount of the type referred to herein is also described and illustrated in WAFFENTECHNISCHES WOERTERBUCH published by the assignee of this application, fourth edition 1977 printed by Gesamtherstellung Broemers Druckerei Breidenstein KG., Frankfurt a.M., West-Germany, on pages 266-268 chapter 7.6 (the term of the art in the U.S. for the type of gun mount described in the aforesaid pages 266-268 is FOOB, fireout of battery or preferably differential recoil).